Electric Scalp Device Prolongs Survival in Deadly Brain Cancer

| Newsline

A device attached to a patient’s scalp that delivers a continuous dose of low-intensity electric fields improves survival and slows the growth of a deadly brain tumor, according to a new clinical trial led by a Northwestern Medicine scientist.

The new treatment for glioblastoma uses alternating electric currents called tumor-treating fields (TTFields), which are delivered through an array of insulated electrodes that are affixed to a patient’s shaved scalp.

Except for occasional breaks and weekly electrode changes, patients wear the device at all times. The electrodes are connected via a cable to a small battery-powered device and continually deliver an electrical field to brain tissue.